Town Planning

The planning control under which Weipa Town Authority operates is outlined as follows:

The planning control is established by the Local Government (Interim Development Control – Town of Weipa) Order 1995.

The Order calls up an Interim Development Control Regulation from the Local Government (Planning and Environment) Regulations as the interim development control provisions for Weipa (with some amendments to take account of the location and the circumstances).

Subregulation 2 deals with permitted uses. It identifies several uses that do not require the consent of the Company or Town Commission (Weipa Town Authority). These permitted uses are agriculture, dwelling house and public utility*.

All development proposals except the three permitted uses require an application for either a material change of use or reconfiguring a lot (eg. Subdivisions).

Applications for material change of use are impact assessable and require public advertising.

Applications for reconfiguring a lot are code assessable and do not require public advertising.

* Please refer to Advisory Development Plan for Weipa Local Government Area for full definitions.

Applications for a development permit may require information to be provided, such as (but not limited to):

What the development will look like when complete

The materials to be used

Any impacts on the surrounding environment.

For more information on the development assessment process please see the fact sheet below.

Have your say on a Development Application

Members of the community are entitled to make a submission either for or against a Development Application during the formal public notification period.

Residents can support or oppose proposed development by making a formal submission that explains in writing why you support or opposite the development proposal.

‘Properly made submissions’ must:

Be in writing and signed by each person who is listed as supporting it

Include the name and address of each person who signs it

State what aspects of the plan or proposed development you support or oppose and why

Be received by the Weipa Town Authority during the formal public notification period.

The Weipa Town Authority needs to understand the reasons behind your submission. For example, if you think the type of development proposed for your area is unsuitable, you need to say why it is unsuitable, not simply that you do not like it.

A person who makes a ‘properly made submission’ is called the ‘submitter’. Once the Weipa Town Authority considers all submissions, a copy of the decision is sent to everyone who wrote a submission; or the first person on the list of ‘submitters’ if signed by several people.

It is also important that the submission clearly details which development application you are making a submission about.